Overview of Nonprofits
The mission of Nonprofit work is to serve, advocate or make positive change.
Get an overview of careers in nonprofits with Margot Gould, head of fundraising at The Climate Group.
Get details on the salary and job security of these Nonprofit careers:
- Public relations and fundraising managers
- Training and development managers
- Social and community service managers
- Social and human service assistants
- Health educators and community health workers
- Archivists, curators, and museum workers
- Grant Writer
- Human Rights Program Officer
- Human Rights Advocacy Officer
Get Career Ready for Nonprofits
Find out what it takes to land a career in Nonprofit
Earn a Degree
To work in the Nonprofit field, it's recommended to develop skills in relationship-building, fundraising, strategic planning, project management, and teamwork. Check the Mason Catalog for degree requirements.
Any major can lead to a Nonprofit career, although a foundation in Nonprofit Studies can be helpful.
Some options at Mason include:
- Nonprofit Fellows Program
- Nonprofit Studies Minor
- Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution
- Integrative Studies
- Global Affairs
- Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS) (with concentrations in Social Entrepreneurship, Social Justice, and Human Rights)
Certifications like these can also increase your employment options in the Nonprofit field:
Gain Experiences
Employers expect at least six to twelve months of related experience to be competitive for full-time positions. Gain experience while you are a student at Mason.
Here are the types of experiences most valued by Nonprofit employers, and where to find them:
Internships/Jobs
- Idealist
- Society for Nonprofits
- NonProfitJobs.org
- Nonprofit Career Network
- The Nonprofit Times Career Center
- Feminist Majority Foundation
Volunteer
Service Learning/Civic Engagement
Mason's Office of Community Engagement and Civic Learning (CECiL) offers the following opportunities and resources:
- Civic Fellows Program
- Engaged Summer Program
- Bonner Leadership Program for incoming first-year students
- Community Partner Information List
Market Your Skills
It is important to be able to clearly communicate the knowledge, skills, and experiences you've developed in and outside of the classroom.
Below are top ways to showcase your qualifications to nonprofit employers:
Resume
Cover Letter
In your cover letter, clearly express how your passion along with your knowledge, skills, and abilities align with the organization’s mission.
Interview
Interviewing well is key to standing out with employers in the arts, entertainment, and creative industries—and the best way to build confidence is through practice. Use InterviewPrep, Mason’s free virtual mock interview tool, to explore industry-specific interview questions and sharpen your responses at your own pace.
- Register for an account at InterviewPrep using your Mason email.
- Once you're logged in, use the following code to access a curated interview set for this career area: [Y5xHCGHZ0pxg]
Career Ready
Career ready Mason grads have gone on to work for nonprofit employers, such as:
| Fellowship of Catholic University Students | Nature Conservancy | The World Bank |
| American Red Cross | Mercatus Center | Wolf Trap Foundation |
| AARP | RAND Corporation | Young Life |
Join the Nonprofit community
Get involved and grow your network while you're still a student.
Nonprofit Professional Associations
- National Council of Nonprofits
- Nonprofit Academic Centers Council
- Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Actions (ARNOVA)
- National Association of Nonprofit Professionals
- Alliance for Nonprofit Management
- Grant Professional Association
- Society for Nonprofits
- Association of Fundraising Professionals
- Society for International Development
- United Nations Association